Saturday 21 February 2009

'Lost in Austen' series will be adapted into movie

Thanks a lot Mariana for the news, here's a very exciting news for 'Lost in Austen' fans like myself (my apologies to the ladies who dislike the ITV series, hehehe...). LIA will be made into a movie.

From Broadcast Now:

Sam Mendes to exec Lost in Austen movie

Sam Mendes to exec Lost in Austen movie


ITV's Jane Austen time-travel drama Lost in Austen is to be turned into a movie, with Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes as an executive producer.

Indie Mammoth Screen will develop the movie version with Revolutionary Road producer Neal Street Productions for Sony Pictures, the studio behind the Spider-Man franchise and more recently the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.

The original four-part series, starring Jemima Rooper and Gemma Arterton, aired on ITV1 in September last year, drawing a mainly ABC1 audience of around 4 million per episode.

The show's original writer, Guy Andrews, is currently working on the movie script.

He will also act as executive producer alongside Mammoth Screen's Damien Timmer and Michele Buck, and Neal Street Productions' Mendes and Pippa Harris.

There are no casting details as yet for the movie adaptation, although Mendes' wife Kate Winslet could be a contender.

Winslet won a Bafta and was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of the lovestruck Marianne Dashwood in Ang Lee's big screen adaptation of Austen's Sense and Sensibility in 1995.

Pic: Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price) in 'Lost in Austen'

3 comments:

Michelle said...

Wow - well, this is a suprise, but a very interesting one! Amazingly, LiA was on NZ tv over NY - and I really liked it, although hated Mr Collins and some of the crudity, and thought it should have been waaaaaaaay wittier. Come on, it's Jane Austen! That said, I loved Jemima Rooper (what a face) and LOVED their Darcy - the first time (wait, every time) I saw that famous body language spoof I was in hysterics. (And, 'mhmmm' huh? the shirt scene was hiliarious).

Ok. Enough rambling. I wonder what they will do with this? It has already been done once. I was thinking of Winslet as Marianne (how inspired was that performance) which led me to think that I'm really surprised no-one's done a melting-pot of Austen characters yet (as these hybrid things are so in vogue) - you know, all the Austen character's living in one town/crossing paths, etc, and Darcy falling for say, Fanny Price ... and Mr Elton and Collins in the same room - it could be loaded!

Laurel Ann (Austenprose) said...

This announcement was a big surprise, especially since Lost in Austen did not get picked up by a major US broadcaster. I am glad to see it resurected but wonder how they will ever cut it down. The big question -- who will be Darcy?

Icha said...

Laurel Ann, so sorry for the belated reply; been a very busy bee. What a pity that LiA wasn't picked by US broadcaster... I am not even sure if Australia broadcast it (saw it in YouTube and then decided to buy the DVD).

And yes... who shall be the Darcy? I have to say that the LiA TV Darcy was so delicious, I agree Michelle, he was dashing! And I also love Jemima, she's so cute! A good TV series to watch over when I'm blue, cos then I can have a good laughter.

And agree with your melting-pot project Michelle, that would be so awesome!